The Economist endorses Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States Presidential Election

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Clinton’s incrementalist style and hard work could make for a more successful presidency than her many detractors expect

The Economist publishes its endorsement for the 2016 United States presidential election today. This is the eighth time The Economist has endorsed a US presidential candidate, a practice that began in 1980 with a recommendation to vote for Ronald Reagan. The endorsement will appear in print in the November 5th edition of The Economist and online today via this link.

The leader argues that the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is not a hard one.

“The campaign has provided daily evidence that Mr Trump would be a terrible president. He has exploited America’s simmering racial tensions. His experience, temperament and character make him horribly unsuited to being the head of state of the nation that the rest of the democratic world looks to for leadership, the commander-in-chief of the world’s most powerful armed forces and the person who controls America’s nuclear deterrent.”

The Economist’s hypothetical vote therefore goes to Mrs Clinton.

“Although, by itself, that is not much of an endorsement, we go further. Mrs Clinton is a better candidate than she seems and better suited to cope with the awful, broken state of Washington politics than her critics will admit. She also deserves to prevail on her own merits.”

To read the whole endorsement, go to or pick up the November 5th edition of The Economist.

About The Economist

With a growing global circulation and a reputation for insightful analysis and perspective on every aspect of world events, The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications. The paper covers politics, business, science and technology, and books and arts, concluding each week with the obituary. In addition to the web-only content such as blogs, debates and audio/video programmes available on the website, The Economist is available to download for reading on Android, Blackberry PlayBook, iPhone or iPad devices. The Economist Espresso, our daily briefing smartphone app, is also available for download via iTunes App Store or Google Play.